1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to apparatuses and methods for manufacturing smoking articles components thereof, and, more particularly, to apparatuses and methods for assembling a smoking article, such as a cigarette that has a longitudinally extending cross-sectional shape that can be characterized as generally square or rectangular.
2. Description of Related Art
Popular smoking articles, such as cigarettes, have a substantially cylindrical rod shaped structure and include a charge, roll or column of smokable material such as shredded tobacco (e.g., in cut filler form) surrounded by a paper wrapper thereby forming a so-called “smokable rod” or “tobacco rod.” Normally, a cigarette has a cylindrical filter element aligned in an end-to-end relationship with the tobacco rod. Typically, a filter element comprises cellulose acetate tow plasticized using triacetin, and the tow is circumscribed by a paper material known as “plug wrap.” A cigarette can incorporate a filter element having multiple segments, and one of those segments can comprise activated charcoal particles. Typically, the filter element is attached to one end of the tobacco rod using a circumscribing wrapping material known as “tipping paper.” It also has become desirable to perforate the tipping material and plug wrap, in order to provide dilution of drawn mainstream smoke with ambient air. Descriptions of cigarettes and the various components thereof are set forth Tobacco Production, Chemistry and Technology, Davis et al. (Eds.) (1999). Normally, a generally cylindrical cigarette has a circular longitudinally extending cross-sectional shape, and each of the lighting end and mouth end faces thereof extend virtually perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of that cigarette. A cigarette typically is employed by a smoker by lighting one end thereof and burning the tobacco rod. The smoker then receives mainstream smoke into his/her mouth by drawing on the opposite end (e.g., the filter end) of the cigarette.
Certain attempts have been made to alter the appearance of smoking articles, such as cigarettes. For example, there have been attempts to alter the color of the wrapping material of the tobacco rod (e.g., cigarettes marketed under the trade name “More” by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company possess cigarette rod wrapping papers exhibiting a brown color). Additionally, for example, certain attempts have been made to alter the circumference of a cigarette. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,410 to Luke. Furthermore, attempts have been to produce cigarettes having cross-sectional shapes other than circular. See, for example, the types cigarettes set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 579,421 to Campbell; 4,535,790 to Wheless; 4,571,917 to Wheless et al.; 4,596,257 to Garthaffner et al.; and 5,632,287 to Hayworth et al.; and U.S. Stat. Inv. Reg. No. H1271 to Shouse.
It would be highly desirable to provide manners and methods, and associated equipment, for producing smoking articles, such as filtered cigarettes, that have a cross-sectional shape that can be characterized as not being generally circular or oval in nature.